Declassified bridge communications from UNS Tsiolkovsky, released alongside the 25 December 2131 UN Weekly disclosure. Timestamps in Mission Elapsed Time (MET). Signal degradation and timestamp irregularities consistent with the Charon gravitational anomaly are preserved as recorded.
The Engagement
At MET 214:06:12, Tsiolkovsky’s sensor officer reported the same drift pattern described in independent-explorer reports — instruments stable enough to fly by, not much more. CAI advisory confirmed degraded confidence and recommended treating all contacts as unconfirmed until visual or close-range radar corroboration.
At MET 214:11:03, three contacts resolved — no IFF response, not listed in any UN or Colonial Development transit manifest. Commander Jakub Novák ordered all-channel hails. No response. At MET 214:12:09, weapons bays opened on all three contacts.
Novák ordered point defense to full active, helm to keep moving. The tactical officer confirmed conventional ordnance only — missiles and torpedoes, no energy weapon signatures from any of the three vessels — consistent with Argus’s later-confirmed assumption that directed-energy weapons would not function reliably in the anomaly.
Tsiolkovsky’s point defense intercepted all incoming ordnance across two waves. “They are not adapting their approach, Commander,” the tactical officer reported. Novák: “Then we don’t need to adapt ours either.” The beam laser engaged:
- Contact 1: Propulsion and weapons bay disabled. Dead in the water, not destroyed.
- Contact 2: Catastrophic hit, breaking up.
- Contact 3: Attempted to disengage, pursued and disabled — propulsion and primary weapons offline.
Novák ordered cease fire and hailed the survivors. Contact 1 identified as Argus Extraction Defense security personnel requesting terms. Novák’s response: “Terms are you power down remaining systems and prepare to be boarded. That’s the only offer on the table.” They complied.
On Contact 2’s destruction, Novák ordered the log to record “destroyed with unknown survivors, not confirmed casualties, until boarding parties can confirm either way.” He instructed boarding teams: “I want every one of them in custody, not a body count.”
Thirteen survivors were taken into custody from Contacts 1 and 3. Boarding action and prisoner intake logged separately.